This time, Oscar had gotten a head start with the climbing. He wasn't treating it as a race, however, since it was such an unfamiliar surface to climb on. Oscar was fascinated but cautious, making sure his footing was always sure before moving his hands to the next angle in the tree bark. It was like the enormous plant was made for someone like him to climb up.

He paused to take a breath and look around. He held himself as flat to the tree as he could, looking over his shoulder at the grass and the way it stretched out around them. He could even see their snail, still making his way up that blade of grass with no mind for the breeze that made it sway.

The breeze was far more noticeable up here. It tugged at Oscar's hair and shirt and he shook his head, looking back at the tree trunk in front of himself to avoid tumbling down. "We could make it all the way to the branches on this, it's so easy to climb," he commented. Of course, not that he necessarilywould want to climb so high. There could be birds up there.

Sam, making his way up behind Oscar much slower, glanced up towards the branches at his words. They stretched up above even Dean's head, and for a moment the sheer height of the tree made the world telescope around him. Sam clung tight to the bark, trying to get the sudden vertigo to go down. "That's so high!" he said, his face dug into the bark.

"Definitely higher than you two are going today," Dean interjected, holding his hand under Sam's clinging form in case he slipped off.

Oscar nodded, far from wanting to argue with the older kid's verdict. He didn't mind heights usually, but that was way up there. And, if they got too high for Dean to reach them, then he couldn't keep them safe. Oscar didn't want to run into a bird or anything else that might live in the tree.

"I didn't ever realize how tall trees were. This has gotta be taller than the motel!" Oscar's eyes were wide as he considered this. The motel, until recently, was his only view of the world. It was the tallest thing he knew about, other than the telephone poles. All Oscar knew before meeting Sam and Dean was that the world beyond the walls was huge, far bigger than he could ever hope to deal with.

Becoming friends with the brothers felt like the big world got a little smaller every day, like he could face it with more confidence even though he was so small.

"A-and I've seen 'em on TV, buildings even taller than trees! " he added, sounding almost like he didn't believe it.

Sam loosened his death-grip on the tree a little at Oscar's excitement, focusing away from the height. "Buildings in cities get tall! " he called up as he started to climb again. "We don't get to see them much 'cause dad spends most of his time in small towns or out in the countryside, but skyscrapers really do look like they touch the sky!"

Sam's own outlook on skyscrapers was still attached to how he'd felt as a human. He couldn't even imagine the sight of them now that he was so small. He might not even be able to see the very top of one if he looked straight up!

Thoughts like that made him very glad to have Dean around to help him face the world.

Oscar had to laugh at the thought, though the awed tinge in his voice was unmistakable. The sky was visible in patches above them, every time the leaves and branches swayed just right. It was a rich light blue with fluffy clouds here and there. It looked close enough to reach out and touch, and yet too far away to ever be reached. To think of a building standing so high was heady all by itself.

He was distracted from his response when a leaf high above broke away from the tree, fluttering downwards in a lazy zigzag motion. It flipped and turned as the wind caught it, and Oscar had to stop climbing to watch it make its way towards the ground. "Maybe a leaf will land right on Dean's head," he suggested, giggling quietly at the thought.

Dean held out a hand to catch the falling leaf, but it fluttered out of reach before landing on the ground. "Nah, I think just Oz's and Sammy's are meant to be on my head," he said with a laugh.

Sam made it a few inches higher up on the tree and glanced to the side with a grin. He'd finally gotten high enough to see eye to eye with Dean, and he didn't waste the opportunity, sticking his tongue out at his brother. This just resulted in Dean doing the same back at him, then plucking Sam off of the tree with a complaint.

"I think that's high enough," Dean pointed out. "Otherwise I might have to stand up!" He grinned at the annoyance Sam shot up at him. "How 'bout it, Oz? Need a hand?"

"Okay," Oscar agreed, pausing in his slow climb. His arms weren't exactly tired yet, considering how often he had to climb (and how small his weight was to haul around), but he was definitely starting to feel it. He wriggled only a little when he was plucked away from the tree, and that was only to stay comfortable while stuck between some fingers.

"We should go get the leaf," he said, his eyes still bright with excitement. "I wanna see what it feels like!"

Dean chuckled as he put them down on the ground. Not too close to the leaf. That would take all the fun out of it. "That leaf's bigger than you are," he said. "You two planning on taking home souvenirs?"

"I found a crystal!" Sam said, pulling out his tiny shard of quartz.

"Did you?" Dean leaned down, trying to squint and see the rock he'd found. Considering that Sam and Oscar's fingers alone were hard to see from his point of view, he thought it was an accomplishment to even see what was clutched between the tiny fingers. "You'll have to save that one!"

The quartz threw the sunlight, winking and glittering in Sam's raised hand. Oscar smiled at the thought that Sam had already gotten used to using his bag to store away the things he found. The bags really were useful, and he was glad he'd had a spare for his friend to take. He would need it if he was going to go around at their size.

"There might be more to find. I don't think I'll keep the leaf 'cause it's so big and I don't have room, but I wanna at least see it!" he explained. He'd never had the chance for something like that. Now that he did, he was practically bouncing on his feet.

"Then let's go find it!" Sam declared, carefully tucking his gem back into his bag and closing it up with a certain reverence. He smoothed the top of the bag down. It had only been a short time that he'd possessed the bag but it was growing to be his most prized possession. He even kept it next to him when he slept. With it, he had all the tools he'd need to get himself around the room without Dean in case of an emergency.

Sam stood on his tip toes, trying to spot where the leaf had landed. He shaded his eyes, then let out a gasp. "There it is!"

The leaf had landed a few inches away from Dean, closer to the teen than the blade of grass with the snail slowly trailing up it. Sam set off in that direction with determination.

Oscar shifted his bag on his shoulder and followed, the all-important cloth container lightly hitting his side with each step. He pushed aside blades of grass as he went, his eyes angled upwards to watch their tips swaying from the disturbances. He wondered what their trail looked like to Dean, with his higher vantage point. He could probably follow them easily just from watching the grass move.

Oscar gasped when they reached it and rushed forward, taking in the leaf's appearance. It was a distinct, sharp shape, curled a little where it had landed among the grass. The waxy surface was mostly green still, but the edges and tips of the leaf were faded to orange. Oscar ran a hand over it, feeling the sturdy but pliant texture of it curiously.

"Wow," he breathed. And then he grinned and walked around the leaf to duck underneath it, finding himself in green and orange colored shade. With the sunlight above, it was easier to see and trace the vein-like patterns in it.

Sam trailed behind his friend, more accustomed to the sight of leaves, if not at the same size as this one. He remembered running around outside of Bobby's house one year, trying to catch the brightest orange ones he could find. And later, after he and Dean had helped rake the few that found their way into the yard, jumping in a huge pile of them and sending the leaves flying up into the air all over again.

When Sam touched the leaf, it was so familiar-yet-unfamiliar under his fingers. He could actually feel the veins perfectly and the memory of it being easy to rip in his fingers was gone as he realized it felt more like a thick leather. He might be able to tear it in two now, but it would take a lot of effort for an action that used to be accidental. "What do you think?" Sam asked, ducking his head down to peer underneath the shadow of the leaf.

Oscar glanced over from where he squatted under the leaf, the fascinated grin still plastered on his face. One hand was raised, tracing the texture of the veins in the leaf, while the other idly grasped the strap of his bag. "It's pretty," he answered, noting the colors of the leaf and the way they contrasted with each other. "And it's kinda heavy." To demonstrate, Oscar pushed upwards on the leaf and lifted it, but with a little effort. The thick material, still full of water from when it was attached to the tree, resisted his movement.

When he scampered back out from under the leaf, it sagged back down to the ground. He was very glad Sam had come to his home to invite him along. Oscar probably wouldn't have very many opportunities like this one.

Sam pushed on the leaf in turn, testing out what Oscar had said. The leaf was surprisingly resistant. "We used to rake the leaves when I was big," Sam said. "It was one of our chores at uncle Bobby's. Then, when we got them into a big pile we'd run and jump in!"

Sam jumped on top of the leaf, surprised when it didn't sag all the way to the ground with his weight added to it. The blades and sticks underneath were enough to keep it suspended in midair. He let out a laugh, trying to sit up but failing when the side he leaned on would give under his weight.

Oscar laughed at Sam's antics, and clambered onto the leaf himself. Since it was shifting around, he didn't keep his footing and he pitched to the side with a gasp and slid back off onto the dirt. "Oops," he muttered, scrambling back to his feet. He hopped back up, trying to help counterbalance with Sam so the two of them could sit up on the leaf. It still tilted at an angle thanks to the grass underneath resisting their weight.

"I think we'd get lost with a whole pile of 'em," he determined. Their efforts to wrangle just one leaf were entertaining by themselves. Having several to contend with would be quite a task indeed. Dean would probably be laughing at them.

"One is plenty for you two," Dean agreed. He sat up and swept the leaf with the two kids in it into his grasp. "But it's starting to get late and we've got a movie to go to so the leaves will have to wait for the next time."

Sam and Oscar both tumbled to his palm as he plucked the leaf out from under them. Sam grumbled as he pushed himself up on his hands. "How late is it?" he asked as he tried to get his hair back to normal.

Dean tilted his other wrist towards them so they could read the clock on the watch. "We gotta head out so we don't miss it. I'll at least need some time there so I can grab the popcorn."

Sam hopped to his feet. "Okay!" Extra small or not, he was excited about the trip to the movies. Even when he'd been normal sized they'd never really gotten to go see movies unless Dean snuck them in.

Turns out, with only one kid to buy food for, money lasted a lot longer.

A/N

To the movies!

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Next update March 2nd

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